The Topics We Will Cover

Physics 30 Outline

I know that this defies the law of gravity, but, you see, I never studied law. -Bugs Bunny

The topics we will cover:

Student-Directed Study

PH30-SDS1 Create and carry out a plan to explore one or more topics of personal interest relevant to Physics 30

Big Ideas:

You have the ability to make critical decisions and pose solutions to real life challenges.
That there are ways to conduct strong research, view information critically, analyze data and create effective experiments, portfolios and debates.
That debate and argument are ways to critically examine an issue.
That scientific protocols support strong science and strong science is important for building true understanding.
That sharing our ideas can happen in a wide range of ways and this is also part of science.
Science is made up of theories.
The interpretation of evidence is affected by our prior knowledge and assumptions

Essential Questions:

How to I learn more and express what I learn clearly and interestingly?
How can argument and disagreement be good? How is it part of science?
How can I make a difference?
Why are scientific protocols so important? What are they/
What is most interesting to me in the area of physical science?
How can I explore this further?
Why is scientific theory not the same as fact?
Why do the majority of scientists tend to favour theories that still have many criticisms?
Why is dissention part of good science?

Modern Physics
PH30-MP1 Analyze the importance of relativistic principles and quantum mechanics in our world.

Big Ideas:

Relativity describes the interactions of large objects
Quantum mechanics describes the interaction of subatomic objects
Motion and time are relative (measurement and observations depend on the observer)
Uncertainty affects what we can determine about objects at a quantum scale
Quantum theory can correctly describe experimental outcomes but the interpretations (why) are still debated
The unclear/ uncertain in science can inspire new questions, experiments and solutions, sometimes resulting in new theories
Plank’s Constant has implications for quantum mechanics

Essential Questions:

1. What is the difference in the interactions of large objects and of subatomic objects? Why?
2. Why is quantum theory necessary in physics?
3. How does our description of space or time change as our own movement changes?
4. If a scientific theory seems to contradict common sense, why do scientists adopt it?
5. What relationship does Plank’s Constant have to quantum mechanics?
6. Why is uncertainty necessary in science?

PH30-MP2 Assess the effects of radioactivity and nuclear technology on society and the environment.

Big Ideas:

The use of nuclear energy in society is certainly one of the most widely debated and probably one of the most widely misunderstood topics in physics today.
Women have made huge contributions in the area of radioactivity
Isotopes naturally decay causing natural radiation to be all around us
Mass can be converted into energy

Essential Questions:
1. Why does nuclear energy have such a bad rap?
2. Should we be using nuclear energy in today’s society?

3. What are the short and long term implications of radiation exposure among living things?

4. What are conditions necessary for nuclear fission?

5. What are the difficulties with nuclear fusion?

Forces and Motion

PH30-FM1 Analyze motion in one- and two-dimensions, including uniform motion, uniformly accelerated motion, circular motion, and projectile motion.

Big Ideas:

Most motion in our world is a combination of forces and factors; not the result of a single force
We have tools to analyze all motion
The formula you use is dependent on the information given
Motion manifests itself in many different ways
Motion can be predicted and we predict it for many reasons
Motion has a cause and an effect
Our understanding of motion helps us to explain a variety of phenomena

Essential Questions:

1. Why do things move the way they do?
2. Why do we use problem-solving strategies? Equations?
3. How and why do we break motion down into its component parts?
4. When might the shortest distance not be the best way?
5. How are displacement, and the distance travelled, connected?
6. Why are scalar and vector values different when they describe the same type of motion?
7. How do we analyze motion?
8. How do we know which formula to use?
9. Why is predicting motion important?

PH30-FM2 Analyze the effects of forces on objects undergoing uniform motion, uniformly accelerated motion and circular motion.

Big Ideas:

Unbalanced forces cause a change in motion (big idea?)
Newton’s 3 Laws explain the observable world. They are not always able to explain the sub-atomic world.
Change doesn’t happen spontaneously. There is a reason behind all motion.
The bigger the motion, the more it will take to change it.
Interactions between forces and objects experiencing forces will have predictable outcomes and consequences.
There are always forces acting upon us.
Every force can be counter-acted.
Forces such as friction and gravity can be manipulated.
We have tools to analyze and solve force problems

Essential Questions:
1. Why do vehicles throw rocks when they accelerate forward?
2. Why do semi trucks need more time and space to speed up and slow down?
3. Why do objects have a terminal velocity?
4. How is motion changed?
5. When do Newton’s 3 Laws not explain how the world works?
6. Why is it important to predict motion?
7. How do we analyze forces and solve problems?

Conservation Laws

PH30-CO1 Investigate the nature of mechanical energy and efficiency in mechanical systems, including the law of conservation of energy.

Big Ideas:

That energy transfers between objects
That theoretical models may not account for real-life situations, and exploring this can lead to deeper understanding
That work is a direct result of both force and displacement
That an efficient mechanical system is one in which energy loss is minimized

Essential Questions:

1. What are the common misconceptions with the terms work, energy and power?
2. Why is conservation of energy so important in the world?
3. Why is vital that people understand the term useful work?
4. Why has energy efficiency become so important in today’s world of energy use?

PH30-CO2 Analyze the a. Explore how impulse and momentum concepts apply to motion-related

Big Ideas:

Motion is predictable
Momentum has a wide variety of applications
There is a difference between elastic and inelastic collisions
In collisions, momentum is conserved
Impulse and momentum have a relationship
Changing one variable can change everything

Essential Questions:
1. How is momentum important to us?
2. How are elastic and inelastic collisions different?
3. How is momentum conserved in a collision? Why does this matter?
4. How does changing one variable change momentum? Which variables?

Fields

PH30-FI1 Investigate gravitational fields and their interactions with matter.

Big Ideas:

Gravitational fields act of objects following the inverse-square law
Mass and weight can be distinguished, both qualitatively and quantitatively
There are variations in the gravitational field strength near the Earth’s surface
Gravity can have an effect on space and time
That gravitational field can be related to electric and magnetic fields
The gravitational fields exert an influence from a distance
Gravitational fields within the universe can cause a variety of phenomena
Understanding of gravitational field strength has led to technologies design to support space travel
Microgravity environments help scientists student in a variety of other fields

Essential Questions:

1. How is a gravitational field related to electric and/ or magnetic fields?
2. How does a gravitational field affect forces that “act at a distance”?
3. What effect does gravity have on time and space? How do we know?
4. How do technological systems that involve gravitational field have an effect on society and the environment?
5. How do microgravity environments help scientist in other areas?
6. How has our understanding of gravitational field strength led to better space travel?
7. How do gravitational field in the universe lead to unique phenomena?
8. How do we prove the difference between mass and weight?

PH30-FI2 Investigate electric and magnetic fields and their interactions with matter.

Big Ideas:

Electric/magnetic fields act on objects with a strength following the inverse-square law
Field lines can be drawn to describe and understand a field
The right and left hand rules help predict the effect of a magnetic field
Electric and magnetic fields have effects on people, animals, and the environment (which is why predicting behavior of field is important)
Charges move in magnetic fields in predictable ways
Prototypes help us conduct experiments, observe occurrences and demonstrate/make conclusions

Essential Questions:

1. How is a field diagram related to an actual electric or magnetic field?
2. How can people use electric and magnetic fields in technology and everyday life?
3. How are electricity and magnetism related?
4. Why is executing an influence “at a distance” possible?
5. How does the inverse-square law help explain how fields act on objects?
6. How do the right and left hand rules help predict the effect of a magnetic field and why would this prediction be important?
7. How do charges move in magnetic fields?

Materials: You must bring these to EVERY class.

-Paper, pencil and pen

-Graph paper

-Ruler (15 cm will be fine.)

-A protractor. (That is the half circle thingy for measuring angles.)

-A calculator with SIN, COS, TAN

Evaluation:

Assessment:

There are two types of assessments that will be used, formative and summative. Formative assessment is not used for marks, but instead offers feedback on areas to improve before the actual assessment occurs. Daily work (e.g. exit card) will be monitored and may be recorded but these marks will not be included in their final evaluation. Summative assessment is for marks, but only occurs after I feel that the students are comfortable with the skills and knowledge taught and are ready to demonstrate what they have learned. Summative assessments may include items such as written exams, labs, assignments, etc.

“Striving for Excellence”

In the interest of students “Choosing to Learn” out of “Respect for Self and Others” it is the belief of Tisdale Middle & Secondary School that students take “Responsibility” to:

· Attend school regularly and punctually.

· Complete assessments on time, and

· Demonstrate their understanding to the best of their ability (Formative & Summative) at all times.

The following school-wide policies have been created to support the consistent fulfillment of such items, and are supported by the Teaching Staff, Student Representative Council and School Community Council of TMSS:

I.Attendance:

A.Absences:

a)Students who fail to attend a class(es) are expected to have their parent/guardian contact the office to excuse their absence consistent with excusable absences outlined in the Education Act, 1995.

b)Students whose absence is not excused by noon of the next day can expect a natural, immediate consequence of being placed in noon hour detention for the amount of unexcused time missed.

c)Period 1 teachers will respectfully remind students who this applies to, but note that in the event that the reminder does not occur students are still ultimately responsible for their attendance and therefore are expected to show up at noon for detention if a class has been skipped.

i.Where parental confirmation occurs between 9:00 am and 12:00 pm of that day the detention will be waived.

d)Students expected to attend detention for unexcused absences that do not report, can expect their natural consequence of time to be doubled. Chronic non-compliance will result in suspension.

e)Students accumulating 15 absences for reasons that are inconsistent with Section 157(1) of the Education Act, 1995 may be removed from the class.

B.Tardiness (Late):

a)A student arriving up to 15 min. after the scheduled start up time of class will be considered late.

i.Relative to the circumstances, students “may” be required by the classroom teacher to make up the amount of time that they were late for class.

b)Students who are “chronically” late throughout the semester and fail to respond in a corrective fashion can expect subsequent disciplinary measures such as detention and in-school suspension.

c)Students arriving more than 15 min. late for a class will be recorded as absent and will be subject to consequences outlined in “absences”.

d)Where students are late by virtue of their bus, they are asked to report directly to the main office so that it can be recorded as and “excused” late.

e)Students leaving more than 15 minutes early from class will be recorded as absent.

II.Late Assignments:

Taking responsibility for one’s learning includes submitting work on time. Additionally, choosing to learn and excellence in academics requires feedback on one’s performance, which is more beneficial when it is given in a timely and immediate fashion; something that cannot occur if teachers are not in possession of student work. To support this end, please note the following:

a)At the time summative assessment/assignments are provided the due date shall be given.

b)Adequate in-class time to complete assessment tasks/assignments will be provided to students with the understanding that sometimes homework may be warranted.

c)Where summative assignment are large in nature, teachers will chunk them into smaller due dates to insure that students are maintaining appropriate pace to complete the assessment on time.

d)If, based on their formative assessment of a student’s work and progress, a teacher deems a student to be behind or having difficulty, they will reiterate expectations of assignment, check for student clarity and proactively recommend Study Hall.

e)If students do not complete their assignment on time, parents will be contacted with the expectation that the assignment be submitted to the “teacher” by 9:00 am the next day.

f)Where students do not complete their assignment the next day, they can expect to be referred to Administration for “Neglect of Duty”:

i.Students referred to Administration for neglect of duty will be placed into Study Hall. Failure on the part of the student to attend will result in further discipline for “Refusal to Conform to the Rules of the school.”

ii.If on the next day, following study hall, a student has still not completed their assignment they can then expect discipline for “Habitual neglect of duties”.

III.Re-Demonstration:

Re-demonstration of understanding at TMSS is permitted, but only in such unique circumstances that one or both of the following conditions exist:

A.A student encounters unforeseen/uncontrollable circumstances that the teacher agrees may have contributed to a poor summative result.

B.The Summative Result is “inconsistent” with previous assessment evidence (Formative & Summative) relative to the applicable outcome(s) and the student has consistently shown them self to be active in their learning and responsive to feedback.

In instances where one or both of the above mentioned criteria exist, requirements for re-demonstration (parent signature, tutorials, reflective correction, etc ...) will be left to the discretion of the applicable teacher.

Ultimately, the above stated policies reinforce and uphold “student responsibility” to attend class, complete assessments on time, and prepare to perform to the best of their ability at all times during class and in their formative and summative assessment opportunities out of “respect for themselves and others.”

Cellphone/Ipod/MP3 Player Usage

It is ok to use these when Mr. Janzen has given you permission to do so. You should NEVER have headphones in when instruction is occurring.

Food

It is ok to have food and drink in class as long as it is healthy, you are not distracting others, and you clean up after yourself.